80-200/2.8 manual focus Nikkor

Thanks, all. I live and learn about the Nikons before my time!

I recommend Photography in Malaysia for lots of details on just about every Nikon SLR ever made.

I recommend Photography in Malaysia for lots of details on just about every Nikon SLR ever made.

Thanks, Vincent. Yes, I know (it's a great resource and the main reason I know about things like the auto-aperture attachments) - I was just still struggling with the F2AS finder description even there. The only film Nikon I've owned is my F5, so I'm coming to this a little blind when it comes to understanding how everything fits together.

Andrew,

Just as a quick run-down on metering-

If you want open aperture metering with a non-AI lens, you need a metered F(The FTn is best, although the Photomic Tn has the familiar CWA metering pattern with the inconvenience of having to manually set the max aperture), an F2 Photomic, F2s, F2sb, or any of the Nikkormats.

AI lenses will, of course, meter on basically anything with an aperture follower tab including all current FX cameras and the D500. Most AF film cameras don't give matrix metering-the two notable exceptions are the F4(provided that it's a "real" AI lens) and the F6(if you manually enter the focal length and maximum aperture). The D200, D2 series, and newer all give full aperture metering provided you also manually enter the focal length/max aperture.

Of course it's worth mentioning that most AI MF lenses(series E excepted) have prongs for pre-AI cameras. This is true of the handful of MF lenses still in production. As has been said several times, AF lenses with aperture rings come pre-drilled with pilot holes to have this installed.

Then, of course, you have AI cameras that allow you to safely mount and do stop-down metering with pre-AI lenses. On the F2 AI heads, the AI follower is a tab that juts down from the prism housing. This can be pushed up and will lock into place to allow AI lenses to mount. Other AI cameras have the follower tab concentric with the lens mount. Some cameras-mostly during the transition period-are designed such that the tab can be "folded" back. The FM, FE, EL2, F3, F4, and Df are designed this way(I may have missed one or two). The F5 and F6 can be modified with this tab-when I asked a few months ago it was something like $150 on an F5.

Also-I mentioned that the F4 will only matrix meter with "real" AI lenses. This is also true of the FA. AI lenses have a ridge on the inside of the lens mount that communicates the maximum aperture to the camera. The only cameras I know that can read this are the FA, F4, FG, N2000, and N2020. The FA and F4 are the only ones of these that can matrix meter. These cameras can also recognize that an AI-s lens is mounted, although I don't know if any of them other than the FA make use of this information.

Never mind. I didn't see page two. :cool:

Nice looking lens, Andrew. Be sure to share some pix with us.

The DP-1(F2 Photomic) and DP-11(F2A) are the most common in my experience and are effectively the same.... They use a large carbon ring resistor that's often dirty and can lead to jumpy or erratic meter readings ...

DP-11 doesn't use carbon ring resistor. It is wire cladded resistor, so no problems with erratic meter readings.

After all of this I realize that the 80-200/2.8 in manual focus is a bit of a pipe dream. Overpriced at least for me and I already have an AF version and two other Nikkor 80-200's in manual focus and a Vivitar as well though it is nowhere close to being as sharp. The 180/2.8 is a lens I've had before and is the one I will get this time. It will need Ai capability and the prong as I have multiple bodies using both methods.

Rick H.

DP-11 doesn't use carbon ring resistor. It is wire cladded resistor, so no problems with erratic meter readings.

I've had 3 F2A/DP-11 cameras that had erratic meter readings. Just sayin'